Mile Marker 3

There's so much to talk about this month! I've been slacking on the blogs because I've been frustrated. I haven't stopped or "fallen off the wagon" but I have slowed down and allowed excuses to get in my way. March had been the month of the plateau... stuck at 280 for the majority of the time, which was super irritating but April was the month of the yo-yo, which was even worse. I bounced up and down from 272 to 274 to 273 to 276. It was horrible and it caused me to be pretty cranky about what I was doing.

Sometimes you can be doing everything exactly right and your body just does not want to do what you ask it to. It has a mind of its own! So I did what I do best when I'm frustrated. I eat! This past weekend I went off the meal plan three separate times. Now, the positive in going off course is that every morning, I got right back on track. I didn't allow myself to have multiple unhealthy meals, I kept it at one bad choice a day. That's still a huge success! In the past, this is the point I'd have gone off the rails and stayed off the rails. But I am here... fighting for this. Because I want it more than anything.

So Monday, April 30, two days before my monthly weigh-in, I got my rear in gear and started Jillian Michaels' 30 Day Shred. Let me just say.... ouch. She knows exactly how to attack the trouble zones of your body and beat them into submission. There were so many points in that 25 minute workout that I wanted to quit and say "Screw you, woman! I'm goin back to my easy, 10 minute hip hop dvds". But that defeats the purpose. I've been so laxadaisical (great word, right?) about my exercising. I go in spurts of having a few really good days and then going back to taking it easy. This had to stop! Now, on my 3rd day of the shred, I have a very good feeling about it. I'm in some serious pain, ha ha, with lots of soreness but I have no intention of stopping. And I can already feel the results!

My friend Bridget also signed up to take kickboxing classes with me. We had our first last week and let me tell you what... it was AMAZING! Talk about a hardcore workout. That hour spent punching and kicking a bag was completely worth it. I felt incredible afterwards! As soon as I got home, I even wanted to go for a jog just because kickboxing had made me feel lighter and a million times stronger. Now I know what the phrase "float like a butterfly, sting like a bee" actually means. It's a fantastic workout that I cannot recommend enough! We have our second class tomorrow and I'm so ready to get back at it.

Though I don't know the exact reason for the yo-yo weight, I have a feeling it's because I'm really building muscle. It was bound to happen at some point and it's been three months now of consistent healthy living and exercising. So maybe my random gains and losses were due to the additional poundage of muscle that I'm developing. I sure hope so! Hopefully in May, now that I'm working out harder and more consistently, I'll be able to see a dramatic change.

Alright... now is the moment to share the progress. On April 2nd, I was 277 lbs. As of today, May 2nd, I am officially 270 lbs. That makes a total loss of  34 lbs from my heaviest! Now, my goal was to be 268 with a loss of 9 lbs but you know what? 7 lbs ain't bad!!! I was really hoping to get into the 260s because that's the weight I was right before college but I have to be proud of myself for still losing 7 lbs. And I'm right there! So close! In a few days, I will be in the 260s and in a few weeks, I'll be almost at the 250 mark. There is no shame in missing this goal by a few pounds. I'm still feeling and doing incredibly!!!

So for next month I'm shooting for a 10 lb loss. That's right, my friends. I have 31 days to accomplish this and I'm fully confident that with my new commitment to more exercise, I can definitely do it.

May 2nd: 270 lbs
June 2nd: 260 lbs


BONUS TIME! I'm very scared about sharing this but.... again... this journey is all about being brave. I'm going to share the photos that I've been taking so you can see a little bit of what a 7 lbs loss looks like. I took these photos every Wednesday. The first was taken on April 4th, the last on April 25th.

No judgments please! Remember I'm still a long way from my goal but look how far I've come!

Can you see a difference? I struggle to see it but some of my friends say you can. I hope so! Goodbye to those pounds. I'm movin on down!